Dreams of a Silver Wizard
by Little Wanderer
Summary: Chapter updated and reposted. Dreams, friends, and wizards, oh my! Hermione's year is going to get a lot more interesting when her friends decide it's time for Hermione's fantasies to become reality.
1. Chapter 1: The Idiot

A/N: If you like it, review. If you don't like it, review it anyway. Fist fic; be gentle if you want to tell me you hate it. Bye-bye for now!  
  
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Poo. The stuff that is recognizable belongs to the multi millionaire, J.K. Rowling.  
  
Chapter 1: The Idiot  
  
Hermione groaned as she awoke from her dream feeling deprived and cold. Dammit, she had to stop this barrage of hormones somehow. She couldn't focus on the Hogwarts men any longer. Yet, why not? They were a good distraction from the long hours in the library. With their large muscles and those gorgeous faces that went with them.  
  
Snap out of it you idiot, she thought at herself.  
  
"Hermione, you all right?" came a voice from behind her bed hangings. Lavender stuck her head through the crack in the curtains and climbed onto the edge of the bed. "You seemed quiet at dinner and you haven't even told me to go write my essays. That's not to say that I need to, I just find your distress much more interesting."  
  
"It's nothing, really. I'm fine."  
  
"No you're not, I know that look," said a girl with hair the color of rubies when the sun hits them. Kelly was beautiful no matter what time of day you say here. Even sitting with her friends in their dorm she still looked fresh as a daisy. The other girls in their dorm room were asleep over on their beds, drooling on their work and books. "Hermione, who were you dreaming about?"  
  
"No one, what makes you think I was dreaming about someone?" she asked, innocently.  
  
"Well, she couldn't possibly have gotten the idea from the fact that you were making some not-so-Hermione-ish noises in you sleep," said Lavender, with a wide grin plastered on her face.  
  
"He wouldn't even look at me so I might as well dream about him right?" asked Hermione.  
  
"Oh, we can fix that problem, Hermione," said Kelly. "Let use do some work on you and you will be pulling the entire population of Hogwarts around by their collars. Want us to help?"  
  
Hermione thought for a moment before nodding her head and the girls gave her hugs before leaping off her bead and extinguishing the lights and falling asleep.  
  
Hermione lay back down and closed her eyes only to once more feel the illusion of his lips upon hers. The soft tingling sensation remained on her lips as she drifted into a deeper realm of sleep.  
  
A/N: Only setting up the story, sorry, nothing really good happens in this chapter. Only the whole friends thing to set up one of the story's main ideas. 


	2. Chapter 2: In which the Idiot goes Shopp

A/N: here is the first stuff with boys, yay! I love scenes with boys, yay!

Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize. But the character named Kelly is mine so back off. The rest belongs to my odd little mind given ideas, characters, and settings by Mrs. Rowling.

Chapter 2: In which The Idiot goes Shopping and Buys Sexy Underwear 

"Oh come off it, Hermione, we won't laugh, promise," said Kelly, trying to coax Hermione out of the dressing room stall.

It was a Hogsmeade weekend and the girls had decided to force Hermione into going shopping in order to begin her on the right road to sexiness.

"Hermione, open the door and come out or I am coming in," said Kelly.

"No, I look horrible in this tuff and I won't buy it."

"Then I'll buy it for you, whatever, but you're coming out here _and_ you are going to wear that stuff when we tell you it is appropriate for a certain occasion."

"No."

"That's it, I'm coming in, Hermione."

Kelly pushed her way into the stall and Hermione shrieked as she did so. "Girls," called Kelly, "go look for some new underwear, Hermione needs a step up from cotton briefs and boring white bras."

"You got it boss," said Lavender as she and their other two roommates spread out through the shop and passed several pretty bras and pairs of panties through the crack in the door to Kelly who was arguing with Hermione about trying it all on. It was always nice to have a clothing shop in Hogsmeade that understood the students' need to have camouflage clothes when they weren't in school.

Finally all five of the girls emerged from the depths of the shops, laden with several bags of not just their own stuff, but of Hermione's as well. They had done they're very best to get her a complete closet makeover and had succeeded with flying colors.

They headed up to the castle for dinner and Lavender made the brilliant suggestion that they shrink their parcels and put them in their pockets so that they could walk a bit more easily. This proposal was greeted with calls of "brilliant idea" and "sounds great."

They walked by a group of Ravenclaw boys as they passed The Three Broomsticks and they grinned as they felt the gazes of the boys follow them up the street. Their weekend clothes were much more fun to put on than their school uniforms.

When they reached their dorms, the real work began. They pulled Hermione to the bathroom and began to apply makeup to her face and fix her bushy brown-blondish hair. Kelly pulled it high into a ponytail that she fixed in a knot with two dark blue chopstick-looking things that complimented the chocolate brown of Hermione's eyes. Lavender and her best friend stepped back, satisfied with their brilliant makeup job. Hermione's eyes stood out perfectly with just the lightest tough of beige shadow and chestnut eyes liner with black mascara. Her lips looked full and pouty with the pink lipstick that shimmered in the candle lights on the bathroom counters.

They dragged her back to their room and forced her into a pair of new just below the waist jeans and a light pink t-shirt that dipped in the front, revealing a very small amount of cleavage. They were pleased with their work and stood back to admire it before getting themselves ready, all the while talking to each other.

"So, who is the practice guy for out little experiment?" asked Lavender.

"I was thinks Seamus, any objections?" When there were none, Kelly, with help from the others, explained to Hermione the true meaning of flirting and what was to be expected of her this evening.

An hour later the five of them emerged into the Great Hall, where all the students were talking about their day off and sitting about in normal street clothes for when they didn't need to wear their school uniforms. Seamus was sitting at the table with Dean Thomas and the girls sat Hermione next to him. He glanced over at her and did a double take.

"Hermione, is that you? Wow," said Seamus. The girls encouraged Hermione with a kick in the shin under the table.

"Hi, Seamus, you like the new me? The still scholarly me, but the new appearance me nonetheless. I think I'll stop talking now."

"No, no don't stop. I love the new you. You look…. you look…. well, you look gorgeous."

Across the hall a certain young wizard was openly staring at the girl talking to Seamus Finnigan. He had already decided one thing about her, was out of Seamus' league, but right in his. He smiled slightly as she laughed at something before returning to her cheesecake. He would have his fun. No girl could resist him. Not that any had ever tried to, but, one could, he supposed. Draco Malfoy, sex god extraordinaire, returned to eating his dinner, a plan forming in his mind.

A/N: Short, I know and I don't care. Just review it people or else I won't ever post the really good smut scenes. Just the watered down versions that have nothing interesting happening in them.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

Oh my gosh! I feel so loved. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed this story for me. I appreciate it so much. To those that asked that I read their works, I would love to and will be more than happy to review. Thanks for the suggestions about the review settings; I will do that.

A special thanks to gazy, for reviewing twice, SwimmerKitti for the advise about the cliché thing, and c-h-l-o-e-06 for telling me how much they enjoyed reading it.

Note for Gazy and anyone else who was wondering: "The idiot" is what Hermy calls herself for dreaming about that certain someone.

Question for SwimmerKitti: Can you tell give me any suggestion about how to make it not so cliché-ish like I inevitably will without some form of guidance.

IMPORTANT: If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, please, please tell them to me. I can't write what the readers want to read unless I'm told what you guys _want_ to read. Otherwise, I cannot be held responsible for what is written; that's up to my sometimes rather odd little mind.

Chapter 3: In Which the Boys Begin to Make Complete Asses of Themselves and Kelly Decides That She Needs Help With Hermione

"Oh come off it, Hermione. Just put them on," yelled Lavender, sounding exasperated.

"If you people think I am going to wear any of that lacy crap then you really are off your rocker."

"Hermione, if you are going to argue with us about wearing something simple as sexy underwear then we are never going to get anywhere with this process, okay? Now put on the damn underwear or I will make you put it on and you know I will do it," said Kelly, leaning against the bathroom door.

"No, I'll put it on, I'll put it on."

"Good," said all of them at the same time.

Hermione eventually emerged from the bathroom after much grumbling and arguing with the others as she pulled the straps onto her shoulders.

"I hate this thing. What was so wrong with my old ones?"

"White is not your color, Hermione. Red, blue, beige, silver, gray-blue, now those are colors for your skin tones and you want to show off the _pretty_ underwear, right?" asked Parvarti.

"Why would they be seeing my underwear in the first place?" asked Hermione.

"Oh come one, Hermione. Please don't be so naive. You know very well why they would be seeing your underwear." Kelly stopped for a minute then gave Hermione a strange look. "Please tell me you _do_ know why they would be seeing that? I really don't want to have to explain."

Hermione blushed and Parvarti let out a soft "holy shit" under her breath before Kelly sank into a chair at one of the desks and shook her head.

"You mean that you have never, ever, in you entire bookwormish life, made out with a boy in any fashion? Have you even kissed one or gone on a date with one?" asked Lavender.

"No, I haven't."

"We're going to need some backup here aren't we? But," Kelly said, standing up, "first things first. Hermione we must do something with that uniform. Parvarti, give her one of you skirts for right now, we can hem hers later."

Hermione once again retreated into the bathroom where she changed into her friend's clothes. There was more to be done, but they did want to eat before classes started, so the five girls headed down to breakfast. Hermione was frowning down at her legs. There were two inches of skin exposed above her knees and she had never worn something so short in her life. To the others this was quite long compared to their more racy choice of length.

She was still self-conscious as they all made their way to seats around the classroom as the other students began to waft in. Harry and Ron, who did not, upon first glance, notice any difference in her appearance, soon joined Hermione, but something finally seemed to click in their minds as a Ravenclaw boy came over, sat on the edge of the desk, and began talking to her.

Ron got a rather odd look upon his face that did nt suite him at all. His hair had gone slightly less orange red and more of a deep red like the color of fresh blood. When the light caught it, it made it shine like rubies in the sun. His body was built and tanned from his hours in the sun, when they had sun, at quidditch practice. Harry was himself as ever, but a bit more mature looking.


	4. Chapter 4: What to do when you are neith

A/N: Oh boy, a big, huge thanks to ella262 for the warning about making this a very cliché story. I tend to waft over into doing that when I write since apparently I am influenced by the things that I read. I am somewhat confused however as to what a Marry Sue story is so if someone could explain that it would be greatly appreciated. I'm sorry; I have no idea what some of the jargon that I find around here means. I could probably make it less this way if I knew what it was.

Little-sunandstars- Thanks for the review, it means a lot to me to get feedback from people. Talk to you soon.

Weezie- Thanks for the enthusiasm.

C-h-l-o-e- thanks for reviewing once again.

Everyone, if you like my stuff to any degree then try Little-sunandstars. She's been writing her own stuff more, but her singular fan fic is good in my opinion. We have similar writing styles so if you like mine then you will definitely like hers.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this short little chapter. Kestrel

**Chapter 4: What to do when you are neither here nor there**

The din of hundreds of students letting off steam after a long day was nearly deafening. Hermione sat staring across a few tables at a boy with sandy blond hair a smile that could blind. He was gorgeous, but definitely out of her league, not that she considered herself to have a league, but still, she had to tell herself something. Kelly was eating so swiftly that her fork was a blur as it made its journey from the meat and rice on her plate to her mouth.

Harry was trying to get her to talk, but it had been a long day and all Hermione wanted to do at that moment was veg and eat her dinner. Eventually they did stop trying to get her out of her state of rested wakefulness. Dinner ended and the large pack of Griffindor seventh years trooped upstairs to their common room. Hermione was in no mood to talk so instead she studied. Nothing unusual there. Kelly had come over and looked over her shoulder at her Ancient Runes essay and then gone away shaking her head in disbelief at Hermione's studious ways.

As the rest of Griffindor house made their way into the common room the noise level increased. Finally, Hermione gave up and stuffed her books into her bag to retreat down to the library. Ah, the solitude of books. The tall shelves with their many dusty volumes offered her an escape from the world. Though she was never truly alone in the library, she could feel that she was. As Hermione selected a book there was a voice from the other side of the shelf met her ears.

"Good evening, Malfoy," she said as his face appeared where the book had been.

"Granger," he replied with a curt nod of his head. That was the whole conversation. Now how two greetings constituted a whole conversation, no one may ever know, but it was enough to satisfy their needs to talk.

Hermione walked back up to the tower in the hopes that some people had gone to bed and the volume level had decreased. The Pink Lady smile drowsily at her before swinging open to reveal the red and gold decorated room. She flopped down upon a cushion of one of the couches near the fire and dove into her book. She was reading quite contentedly about the uses of knarl skin. The warmth from the fire was running up and down her body in waves and she felt somewhat drowsy as the last few people in the common room left for bed. There was a tap on her shoulder as the cushion beside her dipped to hold the weight of the boy who had come to sit next to her,

"Evening, Ron. Need help with homework?" she said, smiling art him.

"Nah, I got it pretty much in hand I think. What are you up to?"

"Reading. Trying to escape the monotonous rhythm of the day by diving into a tome filled with information that will expand my mind beyond its natural bounds. The usual."

"Ah, I wish I knew what you were talking about, but I'm not sure that I do so I will just smile and nod my head so it looks like I do."

"Okay, if you say so. Well, what do you need, anyway?"

"Oh nothing important. I was just wondering if you were going with Harry and me to the to the library to tomorrow night to study," Ron said innocently enough.

"I do believe that hell has frozen over. You two are studying? Of course I'll come. This may be my last chance to teach you two good study skills."

"You do understand that I will probably come away from this experience with nothing, right?" he asked her.

"Yes, but I will never sop trying to cram into your thick skulls the many different dates and other such things that you will need to pass your exams," she said with a smile planted firmly on her face.

"You do know that it is useless, correct?"

"Yes, but a girl can dream, can't she?" Hermione smiled at him. "Well, I'm off to bed. Night, Ron. See you in the morning."

"Night Hermione, hope you sleep well."

With a wave she walked up the stairs and to her room where Kelly and the others were waiting for her, sitting on her bed with three neatly stacked piles of things sitting in front of them. Innocent looking people are never safe to have on one's bed, no matter who they are.

A/N:

Sorry for the extremely long wait, but I have not had much time lately and not I am on a week long break and have hurriedly finished this chapter. I have had it written for over a month now, but I couldn't figure out how to end it and I apologize if it is a little bit of an abrupt place to stop. It is 1:30 in the morning and at this moment I really don't care if there are mistakes anywhere or if it's too short. Sorry for the boring chapter too. I promise that the next one will be a bit more interesting if you catch my drift. 'Wink, wink, nudge, nudge, knowing glance' Tell me when you reviews if you read the author's notes. I want to know if I am wasting my time writing them.

Later, Kess


	5. Chapter 5: Neve Trust People in Beds

A/N: Thanks for the minimul feedback. I would have liked more, but any reviews of any kind are nice.

**Chapter 5: Never Trust People in Beds**

Hermione stared at the four girls and the items in front of them that covered the red and gold bed cover. Kelly was smiling at her from the top of the bed where she sat on the pillows. When Kelly smiled like that, you backed up very, very slowly. She looked something like a leopard on the prowl of some poor defenseless animal. Parvarti put a locking spell on the door and smiled as she tilted her head to the side

"Hermione," said Kelly," how nice of you to join us. I'm going "shopping" and I thought that you might want to come along."

"You're going to what?" Hermione said rather skeptically.

"Shopping."

"Where? We can't go to Hogsmeade right now."

"Kelly, calm down. You've never asked her to accompany you before so she wouldn't know what you are talking about," said Lavendar, trying to soothe Kelly's exasperation. To Hermione she said, "Mione, what she means is that she wants to go patrol the hallways for single young gentleman to, oh how to put this lightly, um, introduce her self to? I don't know, somebody else explain it."

Parvarti piped up, "What Lavendar is trying not to tell you is that Kelly likes to go check out the boys around the school after hours."

Hermione looked at them with a raised eyebrow for a moment before she smiled slightly and said, "Sure. Why not?"

They all stared at her in complete and utter disbelief at the answer. Kelly, looking at the others, got up and pushed Hermione down into the space that she had just occupied.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I find it a bit odd that people can add me to a list, but can't manage to review it for me. Don't take me wrong, I'm glad someone is reading, but I need to go know what people think to write the future chapters. I would like at least three or four reviews, if possible. The more the better because the more I get the faster I update.

Those who reviewed:

lilygreeneyes- thanks for reviewing and I agree with you that Draco is the blonde sex god. I also know that Secrets has 8 more chapters, but I didn't have time to read them all at one time. Have no fear, for those who review, all chapters shall be read.

Silent-Serpent- I am glad you think it is 'neat.' It's nice to know that someone does.

RaindbowNymph- Well, I'd like to say "thanks for the review" because a review is a review, no matter what it says. Enlighten me, what color eyes does Hermione have? Let's just say that she has blue eyes because that was what I wanted them to look like the day I wrote that chapter. However, it is nice to know that you are an ardent enough HP fan that you now every little detail of the characters.

Chapter 6 

Hermione was running. The grass was wet with and the air was filled with a cool mist. The school grounds were quiet in the early morning light and she felt as is she wasn't alone. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. There he was, the perfect man, a Greek god standing naked in the shallows of a crystal river she had never known existed before. The fact that he was nude did not bother her, but the thought that he might be lonely standing there with no one to keep him company. So, naturally, she made her way into the water to meet him.

His eyes were stunning from what she could see through the cascade of hair that fell softly into his eyes. His skin was perfect alabaster without blemish or any kind of mark. She was enamored by the sight of him. Hermione looked down, then immediately blushed and closed her eyes. If someone is standing before you naked then you tend to see more than you had previous to the meeting. She saw a body part that, in normal social circles, would have been considered appalling. A soft hand caressed one of her cheeks before a feather light touch was laid on her lips. She blinked up into his facer that was now alarmingly close to her own.

He smiled at her and her heart skipped a beat. He leaned back down and this time, the kiss was more than small and polite. It had pressure and a slight demand that she return the attention. His hands roamed freely over her sides and she did not argue with him. Hermione was sopping and didn't want to catch cold so naturally she began to take her clothes off to keep them dry for when she needed them. He laid strong hands on her own and did the work on the shirt buttons for her. Each pearly white fastening was unhooked and the gap between the sides of her shirt began to grow. He leaned down to kiss her once more and then………

Hermione sat bolt upright in bed. She was wet; that was odd. Her clothes were soaked as if she had been swimming. Quietly she got out of bed and grabbed a clean pair from her trunk. She wondered over the dream as she climbed back in between the sheets. This was one of a series of dreams she had been having. All of them involved a guy she felt she knew, but just couldn't put her finger on. Although she would never say it if asked, she did like the way the dreams made her feel. Whenever she woke up she felt happy and warm all over as if she had just spent the last several hours in the arms of the one she loved.

Lavender was snoring again. Hermione whacked her with a pillow and Lavender made a snuffling noise and said a few incoherent things before rolling over and becoming silent. Her other roommates seems quite content inside their own minds and private worlds. There was no mistaking what Kelly was dreaming about. She was hugging her pillow for dear life and every now and then she would giggle like she did around the boys. Hermione shook her head and smiled at the odd assortment of dreams in that she shared quarters with.

The sky outside was beautiful and diamond studded. The time in the seasons where it was beginning to be spring but could still be winter made for beautiful weather. In the same week they had been witnesses to snow then three days later the temperature soared up to seventy-five degrees. Hermione lay back down and stared outside her window at the grounds. She wished that she could tell who the boy was, but she always woke up before she could get a really good look. In hopes of finally seeing him, Hermione counted the diamond stars in the sky until she fell asleep. Unfortunately, the rest of the night was spent in an uninterrupted, dreamless sleep

A/N: Sorry it's so short, but I wanted to post something and this is the only thing that I have up on this site of that was even remotely close to having a completed chapter. There will be more in the next chapter, but if you give me some ideas and opinions then the chapter will get written faster. The faster the chapter gets written, the sooner we can have the reason for this being in this specific rating category. Anyway, hope you liked it.

Much love, Little Wanderer


	7. Chapter 7: Laughter and Ideas

HermioneDMalfoy- Glad you're enjoying it and I promise to update again soon.

Mirage05-I love how you think I should have more reviews! Thank you for reading my story.

Serpiente-oscura- The whole description thing was purely what came out of my fingers. I'm too lazy to go back and change it. Glad you liked the dream and I will try to update more regularly.

HnDluver- I'm glad you are enjoying it and that you think I have something to be proud of.

Silent-Serpent- You're guess is probably correct.

Chapter 7: Laughter and Ideas 

The day was warm and potions had been canceled due to the fact that the dungeons were now overrun with tiny red globs that were eating through all of the desks and chairs like acid. The story as to how the red globs had come to be was now so jumbled and varied that no one quite knew who had done it or what had happened. Hermione was quizzing Ron and Harry as they lay with their eyes shut under the shade of a tree near the lake.

"What are the uses of Dragon's scales?" said Hermione.

"I don't know," said Harry.

"How can you not know? I just told you."

"Medicinal purposes?" said Ron.

"You're just guessing, Ron," said Harry.

"Good guess though," said Hermione.

Harry looked at him with an eyebrow raised and Ron smiled triumphantly back.

"What are the rest of its uses?" she asked, succeeding in making them both stare blankly at her. Hermione sighed and began listing the many uses of the scale, teeth, horns, and other parts of the dragon and their uses in the magical world. Nearby Kelly was listening half-heartedly to Hermione teach as she lazed in the sun with some of the other girls. What to do about Hermione was beginning to be a regular question on her mind. She wasn't that innocent, but she tried to keep that fact hidden. She had always been the good girl who made excellent grades and knew everything. It really could get annoying after a while. The wind ruffled Kelly's hair slightly and she sighed, content, and she decided that the subject of Hermione was to be left to a day when it wasn't so nice to be alive and on the green grounds of Hogwarts

A few feet away sat a group of Slytherins. Draco was among them and he was watching the "golden trio" study. Or at least, watching Hermione try and make them study. She tried to hard and needed to loosen up a bit sometimes, but other than that she seemed to have blossomed over the course of that year. She was tall and slender, no longer the girl whose teeth he had made grow too larger for her now delicately featured face. She laughed as one of the two boys at her feet said something in reply to her question about nightshade and why it did occasionally have uses. Her face lit up, eyes twinkling like stars in the daylight. It was a full laugh that left her clutching her stomach and gasping for breathe. The boys were rolling on the ground. _What idiots,_ thought Draco before returning his attention to his friends. Why should _he_ be bothered with what _they_ were doing?

It was after dinner that night when Hermione was sitting with Kelly in the library going over transfiguration homework that Draco came upon them. He was listening to  
Kelly whisper angrily to Hermione about something that seems to have nothing to do with transfiguration.

"Hermione, stop being so stubborn. What's the matter with Dean? He's Dean. He's cute."

"That's just it, he's Dean. I can't go out with Dean; he's my friend. I know he's cute, but I can't date Dean. I can't date anyone, Kelly. I wouldn't know what to do on a date."

"But Hermione-"

"This conversation is over. Drop it, Kelly. As much as I love you trying to help, please stop trying so hard. Now, I have to go study for my classes." With that Hermione gathered her books and left the library as Draco sat down in her seat.

"Have a project, Kelly?" he said, smoothly.

"You could say that, Draco," said Kelly with a slight smile in her lips.

"May I be of service?"

"Possibly."

"Well, tell me what you need and I will tell you if I can help."

Kelly laid back into her chair, lifting it off onto two legs and holding her hand to her hand. "I guess that my main goal is to get my sweet little virgin friend laid. I think it would do her some good to know what it's like to be with a guy."

"Doesn't sound too hard," said Draco.

Kelly sighed. "Easier said than done I'm afraid. She's stuck under the notion that she grew up under. You know, the one that all the schools preach, the one about no sex until marriage. My mother tried to teach me that too, but you already know how well that worked," said Kelly, trying very hard not to glare at Draco as she remembered something.

"You have just entered my level of expertise, Kelly. Shall I try my hand in your little "experiment"?"

Kelly laughed a full-hearted laugh and fell backward out of her chair. She swiftly picked herself up and looked at Draco with immense humor dancing in her eyes. "Draco, sorry to break this to you, but Hermione wouldn't touch you with a ten foot pole. No, make that a fifty-foot pole. I'm going up to bed now. Thanks for the laugh, Draco, I needed that." Chuckling softly to herself, Kelly left the library.

Draco watched her retreating back with his hands balled into fists. So she thought he couldn't get Hermione to do what he wanted? Well, he'd show her. When he was done "courting" Hermione, she would be putty in his hands. Smiling, Draco left the library for the sanctity of his own room where he could afford to let his thoughts wander.

A/N: Hello again my wonderful readers. If you see any mistakes in this chapter then please, feel free to point them out so I can fix them. It bothers me to have grammatical errors. I usually don't, but because I haven't reread anything I've written in this story, I don't know what kind of mistakes I might have accidentally overlooked.

P.S.

I would like a good beta reader. If you are one or know of one, then please go check my profile and send me an email at that address or tell me in a review and I'll give you my email. Thanks for reading this little note. Little Wanderer


	8. Chapter 8: The Willow Meets the Wisp

A/N: Sorry it took so long for me to give my loyal readers an update. Please don't hurt me. "ducks flying objects" I feel sick. Too much sun I suppose, so it is to your advantage that I felt too horrible to do anything other than write. Besides, what is the use of a vacation except to relax and get things done? Well, other than the fact that my vacation ended and I just finished this chapter at then forgot I had finished it and did not find it until now. 

Note: This is not the corrected version. I decided to go ahead and post this and put up the corrected version later, okay? Good. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: The Willow Meets the Wisp 

It was turning out to be a very dreary day. A storm was raging outside of the windows of the castle and the torches were lit early in the morning. The student's celebrated in then fact that Herbology was canceled.

Hermione was sitting with Lavender in one of the classrooms where the Herbology students for that period were being held. The door opened and some very wet Slytherin's came in. Professor Snape was seen streaking down the hall to the headmaster's office to report something.

At the looks from the student's already occupying the room one of the green and silver tied boys said, "Dungeon's have flooded." There were nods of understanding as the student's went back to their conversations and studies.

To Hermione's utter surprise, Draco Malfoy sat down next to her. Lavender smiled and left them to go help Parvarti get the comb that was stuck in her hair out.

"Hello, Draco. Do you need something?"

"By chance, yes. Tell me if I'm out of line, but you look lovely today."

"Thank you. Now, what is the real reason you are talking to me?"

"Well, this is a bit embarrassing for me," he said, fiddling with the edge of his robes. "I, er, I need, um. Well, see the thing is, I……"

"Spit it out, Malfoy," said Hermione, exasperated at this boy who was wasting her time babbling away.

"I was wondering if you would be willing to give me a hand in, in," he thought fast, "in Charms. That new assignment has got me all confused and you seemed to understand it pretty well when you were helping Longbottom and that lot you run around with."

Hermione sat, hands folded, head slightly cocked as she looked at him. What a stupid question. He was excellent at charms and she was damned if she was going to believe his sad and sorry excuse. Then again, this could work to her advantage. It was like Kelly had said earlier, "How are you ever going to begin to understand the male mind unless you get to know all different kinds of them?"

For a moment Hermione thought about refusing to help him, but then Kelly's words and her own misunderstandings of the opposite sex over took her decision. Before she could stop herself, Hermione had blurted out, "Okay, I'll help you."

Draco smiled, a good look for him, and opened his mouth, but at that exact moment Harry and Ron decided Hermione had sat talking a bit too long for their taste.

"Hermione," began Harry," why don't you come and sit with us for a while?"

"You know, away from Malfoy," finished Ron.

Hermione shook her head at them and flashed Malfoy an eat-your-heart-out smile before gathering her things and following two of her dearest friends to another table.

A little bit later, the students were filing out of the classroom for lunch and the rain had slowed to a lulling drizzle for a few minutes. Hermione was walking far enough away from her friends that they didn't see Draco come up behind her and whisper in her ear, "I was interrupted before I could thank you. I'll see you tonight in the library, table by the care of creatures section right after dinner, okay?"

Hermione shook her head yes and rushed to catch up to Ron and Harry who had finally realized she was not walking with them. Draco watched her go and couldn't help but notice that the view was not at all unpleasant.

Tutoring Draco Malfoy. Who would have thought? Hermione was mulling this whole scenario over in her head as she walked with her bag to the designated meeting place. Draco had not arrived yet and she was glad for small favors. Kelly had been bugging her all through dinner to spill what was on her mind. When asked, Kelly had said she had a sixth sense about these things. Although, what these "things" were, she would not clarify.

Hermione took out her Charms book and tried to think of what Draco could not possibly be getting about the subject. If he was as intelligent as he was said to be then why should he need her help? The whole situation was just a bit fishy. The lamps had been lit as she walked in and now they flickered with a bright and happy light that seemed to dance across the shelves of dusty volumes. Schoolrooms were generally a warm atmosphere except when they dripped rainwater through the ceiling onto your head.

The gentle creak as the door opened made her turn to see Malfoy quickly closing it and coming over to her, charms book in hand. He had that "I know something you don't know" look on his face and Hermione felt immediately annoyed. How dare he think she didn't know something when she was the one helping him. The nerve.

"Well?" he asked.

"'Well' what?" she retorted.

"Well, are we going to begin anytime soon? I do have a life to get back to, you know."

"It might help if you told me what the problem is, wouldn't it? Honestly, think before you open that big mouth of yours.'

"Funny, no one else seems to complain about my "big mouth" as you so gracefully put it. At least, none of the girls anyway." She smirked.

"Oh, honestly. Sit down and open your book to whatever it is that is giving you trouble. I could be studying."

"Terribly sorry to have taken your nose out of a book, Granger," he remarked, sarcasm dripping like venom from every word as he sat down at one of the long desks.

"Fine," Hermione sighed. "Just show me the problem. The sooner we're done here, the sooner we can both get back to things we'd rather be doing."

The sound was loud as he nearly slammed the charms book's cover down on the table and began viciously flipping through the pages looking for something she could explain. She hovered over him, looking at the pages over his shoulder. 'His hair smells really good. Wonder what shampoo he uses?" Hermione thought as she inhaled the sweet, masculine smell of his apparently clean hair.

"Here, why don't you explain this one," Draco said, pointing at the page marking the beginning of "Levitation and other such Everyday Spells."

"Okay, well, which one do you want to start with? These are _very_ easy."

Draco clenched his teeth and held his tongue. He had to get through this without killing her or he'd get in trouble and that would be very bad.

"This one," he said, pointing one long finger at the heading of a page."

"Oh, well that ones fairly new. Not exactly a spell I can see you using, but we'll see how you do. Okay, do you understand the principle of the spell itself, because understanding is the first step 'towards learning it?" Draco nodded. "Good. That saves me a lot of time that can be used for practice. This one, I think, would be good for when you can't fall asleep and you want something to look at. In this form it is not permanent and will wear off in a few minutes, depending on how much power you put into it. You need to state clearly at the end of the incantation what time of day you would like the wall or ceiling to portray or God only knows what you'll end up with."

She made a quickly flicking motion with her wrist and said, very simply, "Change, eight o'clock," and pointed at the ceiling.

The sky above them appeared will with stars and a sliver of a moon, silver like a cut filled with silver-white blood marring the smooth surface of the sky. It was beautiful, even if it was only artificial.

"The most important thing to remember about this spell is that you have to envision what you want to see, even if it is just a rough sketch. The spell works off of your imagination. Understand? Malfoy? Hello, do you understand?"

He wasn't answering, just looking up as the picture disappeared and above them became dim stones again.

A/N:

Thank you to my lovely readers and reviewers.

Starrynight girl- I finally updated. Hope you liked it.

HnDluver- Thanks for reviewing. It means so much to me

acpromes- Oh, thanks. Glad you like it so much. I hope I didn't have any errors, but typos happen.

Serpinete-oscura- Glad you want to read more. Thanks for the offer to beta.

mirage05- Thanks for the compliment. My story feels appreciated now. Glad you think it was a good chapter. Thank you very much for offering to look over the stories, but I think I may have found someone.


	9. Chapter 9: Distractions and Other Such P

A/N:

Thanks you to my reviewers!!!! I feel so loved!

FiReFaIrY14- Glad you like it so much. For you, and you desire to read more apparently, I have written this chapter more quickly and it did not get lost in the midst of my file.

Lunastar03- Thanks for reviewing; I do appreciate it very much. I know what Hermione looks like and this has been pointed out to me already. It was an oversight, but I don't really have time to go back and change it so she shall remain as she is and you and the rest of my wonderful readers will have to live with it until I can get around to actually fixing the first several chapters.

Nicole- Oh, thanks. I will try to update more, but my schedule is packed. Very little spare time right now. Good to know you like the dream part and hear your thoughts about Kelly. No one ever tells me either of those things and it's nice to have a change of pace once in a while.

Rani singla- Thank you. I shall.

Alenor- Thanks for the compliment. I'm glad you like it. Yes, I did make Kelly up. She belongs to my imagination and me. I will try to update sooner.

Chapter 9: Distractions and Other Such Problems 

It was the first bright, sunny day in weeks. Golden light bathed the castle ground, glinting off the slowly shrinking raindrops that clung to the grasses, trees, and castle walls. Hermione was sitting out on a bench in the courtyard with some of the other students during midmorning break. Feet pulled up in Indian style underneath her, she was hunched over her book, studying over her runes. She expected the professor to give them a quick quiz over the night before's reading, but she was somewhat distracted. That dark little part of her imagination kept pushing an image to the surface of her mind. He had looked not handsome, but lovely in the spelled light from the ceiling, a ghost of the figure in her dreams.

This was ridiculous. She was Hermione Granger, nothing and no one distracted her from her studies. The question was why was he still dancing in her mind? There should have been runes and spells, not a boy, foremost in her head. Frustrated, she closed the book and leaned her head back against the wall. The cool stones pressed into her hair and she opened her eyes to stare at the fluffy white clouds that could turn any moment and decide to become storm clouds. Weather was such a fickle thing.

Turning her attention back to the yard before her, she was surprised to see Kelly talking with one Neville Longbottom who was blushing a furious shade of pink. Seeing her glance, Kelly said goodbye to Neville and trotted over to take the vacant seat on the bench next to Hermione. There was a healthy rose color in her cheeks and her eyes twinkled with something close to glee.

"What's with you?" Hermione inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I just got Neville to go out on a date with Lavender." She was overly pleased with herself.

"She's going to kill you. You are aware of this, right?"

"I know, but she'll thank me when she's done ranting. He's really a sweet boy, why should Lavender be forced into a date with him?'

"Why don't you do it?"

"Me?" Kelly sounded surprised, as if the idea had not occurred to her. "Oh, no. Neville needs to begin small and work up to me. I would overwhelm him, I think. I might just do it though. You never know, right?" Kelly winked and got up to walk, an extra spring in her step, into the building to do what, Hermione did not know. Grabbing her own books, she decided it would be better to just head on to class. She would be early, but it was better than being late any given day.

The corridors were cool and dim. For a few minutes, she simply stumbled in the general direction she knew the classroom to be, blinded by the sudden change in light. She tripped. Her books went flying across the hall. Rough hands clasped her hands and helped her to her feet. Vision clearing, she could look up at the face connected to the hands. It was a nice Hufflepuff boy who shared almost all of her classes with her. Drestin McConnell. That sounded right.

"Drestin, right?" She asked, brushing herself off.

"Yeah, and you're Hermione. You know, you should really stand still until your eyes adjust to the light. This wouldn't happen if you did." He was grinning while he said it. Eyes the color of blue crystal, iridescent like fresh spring water that reflected the blue of a new spring sky looked at her from under thick lashes and tendrils of burnt auburn hair. Like it was a natural thing he did all the time, he pushed the strands back out of his face and smiled a smile that could melt butter when it was below freezing.

"Thanks for the help," she laughed as she gathered the scattered books back into her bag. He handed her the last book and she put it away. "Well, I'll see you around, Drestin. I really appreciate you help." With that last delightful thought, she turned and walked down the hallway, feeling his gaze on her back like fingertips that were barely brushing her flesh.

Dinner that night was an affair. Harry was complaining about the first quidditch match of the season, while Ron was moaning bitterly about his last grade on a transfiguration paper. It was always fun to listen to the boys moan and groan. A little farther down the table, Lavender could be seen turning many different shades of red. The dormitory would be an unpleasant place to be for several hours now, thanks to Kelly's meddling ways in the lives of her friends. Parvarti and another girl were talking animatedly as they fussed with their hair. Probably talking style.

Hermione stuffed her last bite of lemon merangue pie in her mouth and looked out as the busily talking student body. There were people smiling, laughing, yelling, studying, or just being plain idiots all around the hall. It was the usual evening rumble of students letting off daily steam. Her gaze was drawn to the Slytherine table. There he was, staring at a plate of half-eaten porkchops. She had another meeting with him that night, and she was not looking forward to another night of having to leave he room because he was so enthralled by the ceiling. It was very annoying to have to teach under such conditions with a student whose mind was so obviously elsewhere.

It was Ginny who had once brought up Draco's mental state and what being worshipped by a good portion of the female students had done to his ego. As she had put it, and most of the girls in the room at the time had agreed, that Draco was viewed one of three ways, depending on who was doing the viewing: as a testosterone driven creature that slept with everything on legs, a gentle soul who was only looking for true love, or as a normal boy that wanted sex when it was offered, but was worshipped because of his incredible good looks, quick whit, and sharp intellect.

At the time the discussion had some up, Hermione had stayed firmly on neutral territory, not caring to voice her opinion about him. She was normal, like the rest of them, and did indeed find him attractive, but she wasn't going out of her way to fawn over him. The images from her dream floated back up and she frowned, thinking. Was her subconscious trying to tell her something? Why would it use Draco as its messenger? Honestly, if she had been the subconscious, she would have chosen a book to tell her what she needed to know, not a sex-obsessed teenage boy.

Hermione suddenly realized that Draco was now staring right back at her. She had not blinked for several minutes, stuck as she was in her reverie. Harry poked her a couple of times to see if she was still with them. Blushing, it seemed to be a theme that day, she apologized for zoning out on them, grabbed her books, and walked out of the Great Hall with the rest of them. The idea of going up to the common room was not an appealing one so, in her usual fashion, Hermione wish the boys good luck with their own homework, and followed the familiar path to the library.

She would not let anything, even Draco Malfoy, disrupt her studies.

A/N: I know, I know, I took too long to update and it's a short chapter, The next will be better, I promise. It will be longer since I have a holiday coming up.

Well, read and review, please. You know the drill. Wanderer


	10. Chapter 10: If you fight with Walls

A/N: Sorry, sorry, I should have updated way, way sooner. You may throw things at me if you feel it necessary.

Chapter 10: If you fight with walls, you will lose, period

The nerve of that boy, Hermione stormed in her head. How dare he have the audacity to disturb her musings and daydreamings with his stupid, blonde, handsome, intelligent face? She mentally slapped herself. Bad brain, very bad brain, she raged in her mind as she beat herself some more through thought. Slamming her books down on the table in her favorite section of the library, she threw herself into a chair and fumed over his stupid, stupid face. The curios faces of Harry and Ron appeared across the table from her as they plopped down in chairs, ready for the study session she had forgotten she had agreed to. She slammed open a book, aware of their wary glances, and began to furiously write, her quill flashing back and forth across the page. Why was she so angry?

"Uh, Hermione, I think you need a break. If you write any harder I think the paper might begin to scream," Ron quipped.

"Oh, do shut up, Ron. As if you would understand anything that goes on in my life that does not revolve around you and this little world we live in at Hogwarts. So, just shut up and leave me alone, unless your penis happens to have fallen off during the night and you are now a proclaimed girl, I doubt very much whether or not you would ever understand my deep-seeded hatred of boys in general at the moment or the fact that you are a twit." She seethed. The boys sat, shocked, wide-eyed across the table from her.

"Uh," Harry managed.

Hermione threw her things into her bag and stormed from the library, students staring at her as she went by. Head down, breathing harsh, she walked quickly down the plethora of halls, not exactly knowing where she was going. Her progress was impeded, however, when she ran smack into a stone wall. Falling backwards with a small yell, her head made an audible crack against the solid floor.

"Darling, as much as I love to play knight in shining armor to your damsel in distress, we have to stop meeting like this." Drestin knelt above her, the shadows of a handful of other students behind him, gathering her scattered things.

Hermione laughed, stopping quickly when the pain in her head surged and her vision swam. Everything hurt, she decided. Like a baby, Drestin lifted her and began to walk with her to the infirmary, calling orders to his friends over his shoulder. They followed behind him with Hermione's belongings in their hands. She rested her aching, pain-filled head on his chest, hearing his heart beat throb in time with her own. Although pained, she was content, she decided, although she really should have been watching where she was going in the first place, she mentally scolded herself. Madame Pomphrey raised an eyebrow as Drestin and his entourage entered the infirmary.

"Put her on a bed, Mr. McConnell, and then clean yourself off in the basin by he door, you're coated in blood," said Madame Pomphrey, rummaging through the medical supplies in her cupboards.

Hermione groaned as he set her down on the nearest bed, her head throbbing, the blood that was flowing down her face finding escape into her mouth through her moaning lips. Madame Pomphrey, tapped her want to the girl's nose, said a few words, and covered her ears, wincing as Hermione screamed at the top of her voice as he nose popped back into it's original, correct position. The older, matronly woman gave her a drink of potion and told her to stay lying down until she gave her permission to leave. Hermione didn't need to be told twice. The large bump on the back of her skull attested to the fact that she did indeed not have a concussion. Drestin pulled a chair up to her bedside, looking down at her as he mindlessly shoved the hair back out of his eyes. His following put Hermione's things at her feet on the bed, mumbling about essays and homework as they left.

"If I may be so bold as to ask, why did you run into a wall?" Drestin asked her, looking at her with curiosity.

"I didn't mean to," Hermione answered. "It just sort of got in my way, I guess."

He laughed at her words, smiling as she gave him a weak smile in return, pleased to have made him laugh. "Do you want me to go get one of those people you hang out with to come up here and sit with you or walk you back? Really, I don't mind doing it. I'm sure I can find them somewhere around here."

"No, it's alright, I can make it back by myself."

"Oh, no, I don't think so, little missy. There's no way I'm going to let you go anywhere by yourself tonight. For all I know, the walls might bite you this time, and where would you be without me to help keep you out of more painful trouble?" She smiled at him.

"Miss Granger, you may go now, but if you feel sick at any time during the night, please send someone to get me, I don't want to have a braindead student in the morning."

Drestin slung her bag over his shoulder, amid a shower of protests, then grabbed her arm and held it to help her keep her tentative balance as they began the walk to Griffindor Tower and her rooms.

"Hermione, are you as much as klutz as you seem, or is this whole show for the benefit of others?" He smiled.

"Oh, do, shut up, Drestin. Maybe I do do it for the pleasure of others." She smiled sheepishly.

The walk ended and all too soon she was staring at the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Miss Granger, may I ask you a rather delicate question?" He was still holding her hand.

"I suppose you may, but you do know I need that hand back before you leave? It's the one I write with."

"Would you be interested in spending some time with me, you know getting to know me and such? Maybe one thing would lead to another and you would find you fall madly in love with me." He smiled, hopefully.

"Actually, I think I'd like that."

His smile was genuine as he turned and left her for the safety and comfort of his own common room, the pleasure of triumph on his face.


	11. Chapter 11: Blushes, Bubbles, and Baths

A/N: I've been busy, promise to get some more updates as soon as I can. I have been on a time crunch lately. Any encouragement in the form of a review or two would be appreciated. I know, a shameless plug for comments. Hehe

Chapter 11: Blushes, Bubbles, and Baths

"Oh hell, I forgot," moaned Hermione from the couch she lay on in the common room, her head nestled under a bag of ice someone had gotten for her.

"Forgot what?" asked Kelly, who was flipping through a reading assignment for divination class the next day.

"Forgot I have to tutor Draco tonight. What time is it?"

"7:30, what time do you meet him?" quipped Lavender, leaning backwards over the arm of the chair she was flung over.

"8:00, do you think he'd even notice if I don't show up? He's self-involve enough not to notice, right?"

"I think you're fighting a loosing battle, sweetie. You have to go, I'm thinking. If you are anything, Miss Granger, it is responsible and you agreed to help him." Kelly smiled as another groan left Hermione's lips.

"Fine, I'll go and be responsible, but I won't like it."

Hermione slowly lifted herself off the couch, grabbed the necessary books, shoved them into her bag, and wandered through the portrait hole, wishing she were not such a responsible person.

How to go about catching a girl who didn't want to be caught? It was an interesting challenge that one Draco Malfoy felt he was very up to meeting. So the Gryffindor girls needed help bringing Granger out of her shell. He was glad to oblige them. He had always thought, while a mudblood, she was a mildly attractive girl. Her breasts weren't too large, but they weren't small either so there was some satisfaction in looking at a girl who was well proportioned. He didn't so much like having to listen to explanations for spells he already knew how to work, but she did have an admirable knack for the class. Yes, Hermione Granger was different, a little self-centered perhaps, but she was something he could get used to seeing.

He had wondered occasionally, as he had about many girls, what it would be like to caress that smooth, milky skin of hers, to look into her eyes and see nothing but his reflection. He relished the feeling of being the sole thought in a woman's mind. Of course, it was just a game, nothing more. He wouldn't lose a bet to a bunch of Gryffindor, even if they were mildly attractive, and occasionally convenient, girls. He would admit, under pressure, Kelly was an excellent lay, but there was too much that he had to do to get her into bed to do it too often.

Glancing at the clock, Draco gathered his things for another painfully useless tutoring session. Life would be so much easier if he could just throw her down on a desk and have at it. Everyone would be better for it, in his opinion. She got an experience she would never forget, he got some action, and the deal was sealed with the girls, he would win hands down, his job done. It was true, if would definitely be easier if he didn't have to be tactful and gentlemanly about the whole damn affair. Waving off Crabbe and Goyle with a gesture, he left the dungeon common room. The castle was quiet this time of night, when the students were either studying or putting off studying. His shoes made little noise on the stone floor as he climbed the marble staircase up to the classroom they had used for the previous session. He pushed open the door and was surprised to find the room empty, no Hermione early and waiting impatiently for him to show up so she could get on with her life. Curious, and slightly annoyed, he waved his wand at the torches and lit the room. With a flippant gesture he put up the night sky she had created in their previous "lesson." Why not impress her with his wonderfully improved skills? The sarcasm in his head just didn't sound the same until he got to express it to someone.

A moment later the door opened and in popped a decidedly pale and bedraggled Hermione Granger.

"Alright, Draco, sorry I'm late. Bad day, moving on. Summoning spells are easy, please cooperate. I am in no mood to deal with you at the moment and am only here out of the goodness of my heart and the fact that I have an obligation to help a stupid, arrogant student in need. So, open your book, read the spell, say it, and we'll work on your wand work when I see what you can do, got it?" Her eyes dared him to argue with her.

"My, my, my, Granger, you are certainly in a huff tonight. What happened? You look awful." He smirked.

"Oh, honestly," she snapped. "If you must know, I ran into a wall, broke my nose, nothing serious. Can we move on now?"

"Ah, yes, a wall. Nasty things, walls. They always seem to move around when you least expect them."

"Oh for heaven's sake, pick up your wand or I am out of here, so you understand me, young man?"

"Did you just call me 'young man'? Are you my mother now, Granger?"

"Come off it! Honestly, pick up your damn wand and give it a swish. If I'm lucky maybe you'll make yourself disappear. Oh," she looked up, "nice work on the ceiling, by the way. I just noticed. It's nice to know you're not a complete waste of space. I was beginning to think----what do you think you're doing?"

Draco had moved close to her, hand trailing lightly over the skin of her arm, just enough to make the tiny hairs there stand at attention. "Nothing, just wanted to know make you quite babbling. I figured if you were being complimentary then I could get a little touchy-feely too."

"You know what?" Hermione said, pulling her arm out of reach and hoisting her bag onto her shoulder. "I think we'll have to reschedule. I would much rather be in the bath I had planned than be stuck in here with you. Good night, Malfoy. Send me a message when you come back into your own head and I'll see if I have time to deal with you."

She shook him off and shot through the door like the floor was on fire. He watched her retreating back through the door and smiled. He had a better idea.

He had been too close to her. No one made Hermione Granger lose her cool head, no one, and she wasn't about to be heckled by Draco Malfoy when she already didn't feel up to being in the same room with him. She headed down the corridors until she came to the prefects bathroom. She could use little privacy instead of using the easier access one in the girl's half of Gryffindor Tower. The room was delightfully empty, save for the sleepy-looking mermaid in the picture on the far wall. Hermione dumped her things on a fabric covered bench set against the wall. She stripped off her robe and went to turn the bath on, complete with her favorite scented, blue bubbles. She returned to the bench and pulled the curtain surrounding it to undress. Even if no one was in there at the moment, she didn't really want any of the other prefects walking in on her partially naked. Freed from her school uniform, crimson towel wrapped around her like a dress, she unfurled the curtain and made her way to the bath, slipping out of the towel and into the perfectly temperatures water. She leaned her head against the edge of the tub and closed her eyes with a sigh, inhaling the relaxing scents of lavender and mint. This was exactly what she needed, just a few moments alone to relax and regroup her thoughts.

Why did Draco have to be such a jerk all the time? Why did he touch her? His fingers barely brushing her skin had sent shiver in a ripple affect up and down her body. He had to know the affect her had on women, but then again he was only screwing with her. He enjoyed taunting her about everything else, why wouldn't he try to cross the line into physically harassing her? Still, she wasn't dead; she admired his looks and mind. If only he would use that big, fat head of his for something other than being a total jackass, then she might even be able to like his company.

She was partially dozing, lost in her own thought, and did not head the door open, or the rustle of clothing as someone walked in. It wasn't until the shadow fell of her eyelids that she opened then and slipped beneath the water, mouth open, and came back to the surface sputtering, wiping the soapy water from her eyes.

"Malfoy, what the hell? Do you follow me now, or what?"

He stood on the edge of the bath and smiled down at her, blond hair sliding into her eyes. A pile of clothing in the middle of the floor attested to the fact that he thought nothing of modesty. He stood there, naked as a jaybird, grinning broadly at her as the towel trailing from his hand fell to the floor. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Oh, hell no," she started, while reaching for her towel. He moved just enough out of reach that she would have had to show some breast to get to it. "You're insane, obviously."

"No, not insane," he began as he lowered himself into the bath near her. "Just curious. Why aren't you attracted to me? I know I'm not ugly, so that can't be the problem. We both know I can keep up with you in the intelligence department, yet you still seem to have no interest in me. Why?" He took a step forward towards her in the water.

"You're attractive, you don't need me to tell you that, but you also should have more sense than to pull a stunt like this. Now turn around so I can get out."

"No," he said, reaching for her wrist as she backed up. "Come here."

"No way." It was useless though. The floor of the bath was slick, the water collarbone deep on her, and she slipped, again, toppling into the water. Draco pulled her up, coughing bubbles, hair covering her face like a shaggy, wet dog's hair does. Well, she would have looked like a shaggy, wet dog if that particular dog had enjoyed multiple shades of blue bubbles in their hair.

"Let me----" He cut her off with small touch of his lips to hers.

"Let you, what?" he asked.

Using her free hand to push the hair from her eyes, she stared at him: his bare chest, his blonde hair, his dancing eyes. He leaned back in pulling her body against his. The feel of her soft, damp skin along his was interesting to say the least. She blushed as she turned her face up to look at him, the red creeping across the creamy, pale skin of her cheeks. He kissed her again, lips more adventurous this time, pressing harder, demanding that she kiss back this time. She did; it felt like the right thing to do at the moment. His free hand roamed down her arm, across her shoulder, down her back, tracing the gentle curve of her hip, before coming to rest on her lower back, pressing her into him. He slipped from her lips to her neck, nipping lightly with teeth, but not wanting to scare her off just yet. Hermione let out a little sigh, not exactly moan, which is what he was aiming currently. He bit the tender skin where her neck met her collarbone. Her hand convulsed around his bicep, where she had put them, ready to push him away at any moment, but obviously not really wanting to. He felt blood rush downwards from the rest of his body. Hermione did too. Her eyes widened and it was as she felt him growing against her stomach that she shoved him backwards into the water.

She took the time he was submerged to climb out and grab her towel. She rushed to the curtain as he came back up to the surface of the water, coughing like she had been and cursing more like a very wet sailor than any high born wizard.

He climbed out after her mumbling something like, "girls." Toweling off, he got to the curtain just as she was flinging it aside to make a break for the door.

"Hermione," he said, grabbing her by the shoulder to stop her forward progress.

Surprisingly, she stopped. "You used my real name. I didn't think you were actually capable of that."

He tried to kiss her again, but she stooped under his arm and did a kind of pirouette so that she was facing him. "Malfoy, I don't know what's gotten into you, but I cannot deal with this right now. Leave me alone….please." The last bit was very quiet.

Then she was gone through the door back to Gryffindor Tower where she could effectively hide from him for the rest of the night.

"Damn," was all Draco could say as he stared at the closed door, before gathering his things and dressing.

A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed it. Let me know what you think, please.


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